


Shards of Our Pasts

by Westgate (Harkpad)



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Arguing, Drama, M/M, Mentions of past abuse, and then fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-26
Updated: 2016-04-26
Packaged: 2018-06-04 17:17:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6667492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Harkpad/pseuds/Westgate
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bruce and Clint have been dating for a couple of months, but this is their first fight. When you're with someone you have to learn how they get angry, what they do with that anger, and decide if it's a method you can deal with. Bruce is surprised at Clint's anger, but he thinks he can deal with it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shards of Our Pasts

**Author's Note:**

> For a tumblr prompt.

“You’re angry,” Bruce said, shucking off his lab coat and hanging it on the arrow-shaped coat rack inside Clint’s door. He watched as Clint crossed his arms and leaned harder into the couch cushions. He didn’t answer Bruce, either, which was new. Bruce felt a flush of fear run through his veins and realized that the Other Guy is stirring. It didn’t feel worrisome, but it’s odd. This was a new kind of fear for Bruce.

“Clint,” Bruce said, and sat down on the couch next to him.

Clint’s jaw was tight and he hugged himself hard, like he was coiling up. His eyes were dark and he ignored Bruce.

“I called before I came, and you didn’t answer. I texted and you didn’t answer,” Bruce said, and Clint still stayed silent, which made the fear in Bruce’s chest turn to anger. “Could you please at least answer me?”  

“What should I say, Bruce?” Clint snapped. “I haven’t heard from you in a day and a half, almost two. No one knew where you were at SHIELD, no one on the team knew where you were, and you didn’t bother to let me know or answer my calls. Why should I answer your call now?”

“Tony knew where I was. I was with him,” Bruce protested. They were working, and they hit a breakthrough that made them both lose track of time entirely.

“Tony didn't answer anyone either. You guys weren’t in your usual lab, and JARVIS said Tony had engaged privacy protocols. He wouldn’t even tell me if you were with Tony. What the hell, Bruce. What were you guys working on that would keep JARVIS from at least assuring the rest of us you were okay?” Clint stood from the couch and stormed into the kitchen.

Bruce followed him and put his hands on the breakfast bar, flat. “I told you we were working on a classified project. I told you I’d be with him.”

“Not for a day and half with no calls!” Clint yelled as he slammed a glass into the sink and it shattered, and then he stopped, a horrified look on his face. “Fuck. Fuck,” he whispered, looking at the glass, and Bruce started backward, hitting the couch with his legs.

The glass breaking made the Other Guy sit up and Bruce had to force him down again. He focused on breathing and blew breaths out of his mouth to get it under control. When he looked up, Clint was staring at his eyes, which must have flashed green. As Bruce controlled his impulse to change, Clint stumbled to the bedroom and shut the door, clearly trying not to slam it.

This we haven’t talked about. This we didn’t consider when we decided to be lovers. Anger. Temper. Flares of hot white fury that ended with glasses shattered in the sink.

Bruce stood in the living room breathing carefully, and he waited until he could tell the Other Guy had calmed down before he went to the kitchen and cleaned up the glass. He had told Clint he’d be working, and Clint was anything but a clingy boyfriend. He and Bruce had agreed that they’d take things slow with this dating thing.

Clint made Bruce laugh and pushed Bruce to be more open and social than he was used to, and Clint was kind and gentle and would do anything to keep Bruce calm and relaxed. Spending all of his free time with Clint made Bruce feel warm and loved in a whole new way. Now, though, there were glass shards in the sink and apparently Clint was the kind of guy to break things in anger.

This was new information.

He finished cleaning up and then went to the bedroom and knocked gently on the door. “Clint?” He got no answer, so he opened the door and stepped inside.

Clint had wedged himself into the space on the floor between the bed and the wall, with his back to the wall. He had his legs drawn up and was resting his head on his knees. Bruce stayed in the doorway. “Clint.”  

Clint stayed still for a moment, then pulled himself up to the bed. Bruce noticed that his eyes were wet. His eyes that were so enigmatic and beautiful and that had the ability to mesmerize Bruce like a magician. “Clint, why are you so angry?”

Clint ran his hand over his face and looked down at his knees. “You scared the shit out of me, Bruce. You scared me.”

“What? Why?"

  
Clint chuckled. “You don’t even know? You disappeared.” he said, looking over and finally meeting Bruce’s gaze. “You fucking disappeared. You could’ve been taken by Ross, you could’ve decided that you needed to be in another country again, you could’ve realized what a dumb idea it is to date an ex-carnie dropout,” he said, and his voice fell to a whisper at the end.

Bruce stared at the floor. He hadn’t considered Clint’s insecurities much since they started sleeping together. Clint always seemed to be brimming with confidence. “I won’t disappear, Clint. Ross can’t get his hands on me now that I’m under SHIELD’s protection, and I will not disappear on you without telling you. I promise.”

Clint looked at the door behind Bruce and nodded. “Your eyes turned green,” he said, like they were moving to the next item on the list of tonight’s problems.

Bruce nodded, and he stared at Clint, who seemed to be sitting miles away. He stayed in the doorway. “Yeah.” He took a deep breath. “You broke a glass.” He didn’t want to sound accusatory. He wasn’t accusing Clint of . . . anything. But it was hard.

Clint sighed and put his face in his hands. “My dad had a temper. It takes a lot more for my fuse to get lit, but . . . I have one, too.” He kept his hands over his face and shrugged. “You can leave if you want to. I’ve never hurt anyone else, and I promise I’ll never hurt you, but I’ve also been on the other end of that anger, and I know you have, too. So. Yeah. I’ll understand.” His voice was rough now, gravelly.

Bruce stood in the doorway, trying to reconcile his own childhood fears of strong voices and violence, his own father who did much more than break things – who broke people. He considered leaving right now. He did. But then he saw the regret lining Clint’s hunched shoulders, saw the fear for Bruce’s safety in his reaction to the last two days, and knew that Clint would never really hurt him.

They might not stay together forever, but violence wouldn’t be a part of their relationship. Neither one had turned into those kind of men.

He moved to Clint’s side and sat down. He rubbed small circles on Clint’s back. “I’m sorry I made you angry and scared. I’m sorry, Clint.”

“I’m sorry I broke something in anger,” Clint replied, looking up at Bruce. “I try not to get that mad.”

Bruce saw the storm in Clint’s eyes settle down, and now he just looked sad and wary, so Bruce leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. “We all get angry, Clint. I trust you, though. It’s okay.”

Clint let out a long sigh and nodded as he gripped Bruce’s hand in his. “I trust you, too, you know. I just got so scared,” he said, and he shuddered again. “I’m sorry.”

“Clint,” Bruce said, and pulled them both down so that they were lying on the bed, Clint on Bruce’s chest so Bruce could stroke his hair. “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere, and Ross is not going to get me. I know my team and my boyfriend will help keep me safe.”

“Yeah,” Clint said, and he propped himself up on his elbows so that his gorgeous face was hovering just above Bruce’s. “He definitely will.” He kissed Bruce, long and deep, and repositioned himself so that their bodies lined up. Bruce felt warmth flood his body, and he pulled Clint down, closer, and felt things click back into place, the way they should be.

 

 


End file.
